Theology Thursday
Q. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.
Westminster Shorter Catechism
What happens when we die? What happens when a Christian dies? It’s not something we think about much. It’s not something we want to think about much! And yet, when you do think about it - death is the most certain and momentous event of our lives.
For those who trust in Jesus, the Bible gives us a wonderful comfort for what we can certainly expect. As the Catechism says, at death, this sinful body returns to dust. With it goes all the plagues of our fallen self, our sinful desires, our terrible thoughts, our mixed up feelings, our sicknesses and sadnesses gone.
Now, the next bit is tricky. There are two schools of thought. But the most likely answer is that of the Catechism, as Christ said to the prisoner on the cross next to Him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
So while our bodies are in the dust, our spirit is alive with Christ. Where is Christ? He is in ‘heaven’ at the right hand of the Father. So we do truly go to heaven when we die. However, that’s not where we stay.
Paul talks about what happens next in 1 Corinthians 15, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
He’s talking about the resurrection of our bodies. But actually, he’s also talking about the resurrection of the whole world. At that time known only to the Father, Christ will return and He will bring heaven to earth. He will reign over a new creation. And we will be raised in fullness from the dead - this is the final resurrection.
This is why Christians, we need not fear death, except the death of those who don’t trust in Christ. So let’s seek their salvation through the gospel. And let’s look on in hope, to that moment where we will be raised in spirit and later in body.
For Today:
Pray:
Passages:
Hebrews 12:23, Luke 23:43, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Daniel 12:2, John 5:28-29, Acts 24:15
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.
Westminster Shorter Catechism
What happens when we die? What happens when a Christian dies? It’s not something we think about much. It’s not something we want to think about much! And yet, when you do think about it - death is the most certain and momentous event of our lives.
For those who trust in Jesus, the Bible gives us a wonderful comfort for what we can certainly expect. As the Catechism says, at death, this sinful body returns to dust. With it goes all the plagues of our fallen self, our sinful desires, our terrible thoughts, our mixed up feelings, our sicknesses and sadnesses gone.
Now, the next bit is tricky. There are two schools of thought. But the most likely answer is that of the Catechism, as Christ said to the prisoner on the cross next to Him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
So while our bodies are in the dust, our spirit is alive with Christ. Where is Christ? He is in ‘heaven’ at the right hand of the Father. So we do truly go to heaven when we die. However, that’s not where we stay.
Paul talks about what happens next in 1 Corinthians 15, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
He’s talking about the resurrection of our bodies. But actually, he’s also talking about the resurrection of the whole world. At that time known only to the Father, Christ will return and He will bring heaven to earth. He will reign over a new creation. And we will be raised in fullness from the dead - this is the final resurrection.
This is why Christians, we need not fear death, except the death of those who don’t trust in Christ. So let’s seek their salvation through the gospel. And let’s look on in hope, to that moment where we will be raised in spirit and later in body.
For Today:
- Do you think about what happens after death?
- Do you worry about death?
- What are you looking forward to in the new creation?
Pray:
- Praise the Father who is our creator and giver of life.
- Give thanks for Jesus who guarantees our glorification and resurrection in His work on the cross.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you be fearless in the face of death and to encourage others to find salvation in Christ.
Passages:
Hebrews 12:23, Luke 23:43, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Daniel 12:2, John 5:28-29, Acts 24:15
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